Two kayakers stranded by rough weather on the Great Salt Lake for 9-10 hours were rescued early Friday.
The two were part of a trio that set out Thursday afternoon with plans to visit Stansbury Island and two other islands and then finish at Antelope Island, according to the Davis County Sheriff’s Office.
But the weather turned bad and the kayakers found themselves battling “increasingly dangerous water conditions” with 20 mph winds and waves as high as 7 feet, according to Utah State Park spokesman Devan Chavez. The three 20-year-old Davis County men decided to head straight for Antelope Island, but lost sight of one another around 3 p.m. When one kayaker made it to Antelope Island around 7:30 p.m., he called for help.
Search and rescue crews — including Utah State Park rangers and first responders from Davis, Tooele and Weber Counties and the Utah Department of Public Safety — deployed multiple boats, ground units and helicopters to the Antelope Island area. One of the missing kayakers was found in the water just west of the island shortly after midnight. The second was found just south of where the first was rescued at about 1:30 a.m.
According to Chavez, both men were “responsive to rescue personnel.” They were transported to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.
None of the three kayakers was wearing a life jacket.
